Manchester United players need Erik ten Hag to repeat Thomas Tuchel influence at Chelsea

Chelsea might have been disappointed to have to settle for a point at Old Trafford, but as Thomas Tuchel was serenaded by the away end at full-time it was a reminder of the impact a sharp coach and clever tactician can have on the fortunes of a team.

The Blues are transformed from the days under Frank Lampard and this fixture was brought forward 17 days because they will contest a sixth final in Tuchel's 15 months in charge in the middle of May.

When Roman Abramovich was hit by sanctions from the UK government in March, United explored the possibility of prising Tuchel away from Stamford Bridge. When it was clear that wasn’t going to happen they settled for Erik ten Hag and how badly this squad needs his influence now.

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A couple of hours before this game it emerged that Rangnick was in talks to take over as head coach of Austria once his spell at Old Trafford comes to an end, a job he will take on while maintaining his consultancy role with United.

Rangnick is fortunate to be walking into another coaching job given how spectacularly badly this one has gone. He was plucked from the back offices by United and a run of 10 wins from his 26 games in charge is abysmal.

The players have long stopped believing in his methods and those of his unknown American assistant Chris Armas. They have never earned the respect of a dressing room full of internationals.

This is a United squad that looks desperate for the new direction Ten Hag will provide. The tactical mistakes they made against Chelsea were as basic as it gets and while it might never be clear just how much blame should fall at the door of Rangnick or the players, the set-up never looked like working.

Unite